Really looking forward to meeting this community!
Shabbat in Rosyln, NY; Hello from Jerusalem;
Invitation to LCM Breakfast; Caribbean Jews and the History of Chocolate; Spanish Disputations and the Pogroms of 1391
Please join me at our First Annual Breakfast!
Jews and Chocolate! Who knew?
Disputations and the Pogroms of 1391
The Jews of Bukhara (Sunday in Denver); the Maimonidean Controversy; Save the Date for Roslyn NY
Really looking forward to speaking to the Or Avner community in Aurora, CO!
The Maimonidean Controversy
Save the Date: Shabbaton in Roslyn NY, December 20-21
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Day 6: The Paths to Teshuvah
Day 6 Sunday August 27, 2017 Elul 5, 5777 (English Translation follows) 2.4 מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה לִהְיוֹת הַשָּׁב צוֹעֵק תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי ה’, בִּבְכִי וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים, וְעוֹשֶׂה צְדָקָה כְּפִי כּוֹחוֹ, וּמִתְרַחֵק הַרְבֵּה מִן הַדָּבָר שֶׁחָטָא בּוֹ. וּמְשַׁנֶּה שְׁמוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֲנִי אַחֵר וְאֵינִי אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ שֶׁעָשָׂה אוֹתָן הַמַּעֲשִׂים; וּמְשַׁנֶּה מַעֲשָׂיו כֻּלָּן לְטוֹבָה, וּלְדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה. וְגוֹלֶה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ–שֶׁגָּלוּת מְכַפֶּרֶת עָווֹן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁגּוֹרֶמֶת……
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Day 4-5: The Ba’al Teshuvah
Day 4-5 Friday, August 25-Shabbos August 26, 2017 Elul 4-5, 5777 (English Translation follows) 2.1 אֵיזוֹ הִיא תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה–זֶה שֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר בּוֹ, וְאפְשָׁר בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת, וּפֵרַשׁ וְלֹא עָשָׂה מִפְּנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה, לֹא מִיִּרְאָה וְלֹא מִכִּשְׁלוֹן כּוֹחַ. כֵּיצַד: הֲרֵי שֶׁבָּא עַל אִשָּׁה בַּעֲבֵרָה, וּלְאַחַר זְמָן נִתְיַחַד עִמָּהּ וְהוּא עוֹמֵד בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ בָּהּ וּבְכוֹחַ גּוּפוֹ, וּבַמְּדִינָה שֶׁעָבַר בָּהּ, וּפֵרַשׁ……
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Day 3: When is Atonement Granted?
Day 3 Thursday, August 24, 2017 ב׳ אלול תשע׳׳ז 1.3 בִּזְמָן שְׁאֵין בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם, וְאֵין לָנוּ מִזְבַּח כַּפָּרָה—אֵין שָׁם אֵלָא תְּשׁוּבָה. הַתְּשׁוּבָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל כָּל הָעֲבֵרוֹת: אַפִלּוּ רָשָׁע כָּל יָמָיו, וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה—אֵין מַזְכִּירִין לוֹ שֵׁם רִשְׁעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “וְרִשְׁעַת הָרָשָׁע לֹא–יִכָּשֶׁל בָּהּ, בְּיוֹם שׁוּבוֹ מֵרִשְׁעוֹ” (יחזקאל לג,יב). וְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁלְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר לַשָּׁבִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “כִּי–בַיּוֹם……
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Day 2: The Scapegoat
Day 2: The Scapegoat א׳ אלול ראש חודש אלול Wednesday, August 23, 2017 1.2 שָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ–לְפִי שְׁהוּא כַּפָּרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כּוֹהֵן גָּדוֹל מִתְוַדֶּה עָלָיו עַל לְשׁוֹן כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “וְהִתְוַדָּה עָלָיו אֶת-כָּל-עֲוֹנֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל” (ויקרא טז,כא). שָׂעִיר הַמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ מְכַפֵּר עַל כָּל עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, הַקַּלּוֹת וְהַחֲמוּרוֹת, בֵּין שֶׁעָבַר בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין שֶׁעָבַר בִּשְׁגָגָה, בֵּין שֶׁהוֹדַע לוֹ בֵּין……
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Day 1: Confession.
Day 1 ל׳ אב ראש חודש אלול Tuesday, August 22, 2017 כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה—אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן, בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין בִּשְׁגָגָה—כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ, חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת לִפְנֵי הָא–ל בָּרוּךְ הוּא: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “אִישׁ אוֹ–אִשָּׁה כִּי יַעֲשׂוּ מִכָּל–חַטֹּאת הָאָדָם למעול מעל בה‘ ואשמה הנפש ההיא וְהִתְוַדּוּ, אֶת–חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ” (במדבר ה,ו–ז), זֶה……
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August 2017 Update
Please click here for the latest news: The Jews of Sepharad lecture series, our new Global Maimonides Project, and other cool things.
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The Liturgy of Anguish
Hopefully this event will be cancelled with the arrival of Moshiach, but just in case, I am really looking forward to hearing Rabbi Goldberg speak about the Kinot.
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New Series! How to Speak Like a Mensch
This is a little different: my Jewish take on SPLN 101: Fundamentals of Speech, our required undergraduate course at the mighty Avenue J campus of Touro College. Let me know what you think!
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Why I Wrote Maimonides on Teshuvah
Dedicated to the memory of my father: A new translation and commentary of Moses Maimonides’ classic work on repentance. Softcover, 253 pages, illustrations. $18 after August 3, pre-order now for special price of $9 plus shipping. 5th edition (2017) Visit bit.ly/ordermot for more details.
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Maimonides on Teshuvah
Dedicated to the memory of my father: A new translation and commentary of Moses Maimonides’ classic work on repentance. Softcover, 253 pages, illustrations. $18. Click here to order.
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The Jews of Sepharad: Fall 2017 Lectures
All lectures will be held in the Main Auditorium of the mighty Avenue J Campus 7:00 PM Free and Open to the Community Touro College 1602 Avenue J Brooklyn, NY 11230 September 11 September 18 September 25 October 2 No Class October 9 October 16 October 23 October 30 November 6 November 13……
The Jews of Bukhara (Denver, CO); The Jews of the Lesser Antilles; Varieties of Crypto-Jewish Identity; Wait, Alexander Hamilton was Jewish?
Looking forward to a wonderful Shabbat in the Denver Jewish community!
Our Itinerary of Discovery in the Western Caribbean
Channel Members
Premiering at 10am ET
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Who Was R. David Sintzheim?
Appointed as the head of Napoleon’s Grand Sanhedrin, respected Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva David Sintzheim created a political modus vivendi for Jews in modern Europe. Click here for the Prezi associated with this video.
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Tractate “Prohibition” (Purim Torah)
Tractate “Prohibition”People of the Book: Great Works of the Jewish Tradition Dr. Henry Abramson “Reverend” Gershon Kiss of Brooklyn captured the spirit of Purim brilliantly in his 1929 parody of the Talmud, “Tractate Prohibition,” which pokes fun at both Rabbinic dialectic and American society. Written in a combination of Hebrew, Aramaic and the occasional Anglicism……
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Who Was R. Yaakov Emden?
Intimidated by neither power nor position, Rabbi Yaakov Emden left a remarkable literary legacy in the form of his autobiography, Megilat Sefer. This brief lecture provides an overview of his life and work, including his epic controversy with Rabbi Yonasan Eibeschutz. R. Yaakov Emden, Megilat Sefer People of the Book: Great Works of the Jewish……
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Who Was R. Moshe Hagiz?
Detractors and admirers alike called him a “zealot, the son of a zealot” a fitting title for arguably the most divisive figure in early eighteenth-century Jewish history. A native son of Jerusalem, Rabbi Moshe Chagiz (1671-1751) originally journeyed to Europe to raise funds for his beleaguered Yeshiva. Within a short period of time, however,……
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Who Was R. Pinhas Hurwitz?
Two hundred years ago, Sefer Ha-Brit was a fixture in the library of every educated Jewish home. First published anonymously in 1797, this hugely popular 800-page tome appeared in forty editions, including translations into Ladino and Yiddish. It was widely read by Ashkenazim and Sefardim, western and eastern European Jews, Hasidim, Mitnagdim and Maskilim……
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Sefer Ha-Heshek
People Of The Book: Classic Works Of The Jewish Tradition This article originally appeared in the Five Towns Jewish Times on March 3, 2016. Click here for a video lecture on the topic. By Dr. Henry Abramson Working in the abandoned Judaica collection of the Kiev Vernadsky Library during the immediate post-Soviet period, a brilliant……
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Who Was Hillel Ba’al Shem?
A mysterious figure of the early 18th century whose work, recently discovered by Dr. Yohanan Petrovsky-Stern, sheds light on the world of popular culture from which Hasidism emerged.
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Tanya: People of the Book
People Of The Book: Classic Works Of The Jewish Tradition By Dr. Henry Abramson This article appeared in the February 25, 2016 edition of the Five Towns Jewish Times. The appearance of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s Tanya at the turn of the 19th century represented a sea change in Eastern European Jewish history. With……
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March 2016 Lectures: Jews of the 18th Century
Jewish History @ Avenue J A Community Project of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences 1602 Avenue J Monday Nights, 7-8pm Free and Open to the Community Lectures by Dean Henry Abramson No hard questions, please. March 7: R. Pinhas Hurwitz Author of the influential Sefer Ha-Brit, the work of Rabbi Hurwitz represented the……
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Who Was Sarah, Wife of Shabbetai Tsvi?
Orphaned by the Eastern European pogroms of 1648-49, the volatile Sarah became the spouse of the infamous messianic pretender. Her life, filled with controversy, illustrates the egalitarian elements in Shabbetai Tsvi’s antinomian message. Here is a link to the Prezi.
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Sarra Copia Sulem’s Manifesto
Sarra Copia Sulam’s Manifesto People of the Book: Great Works of the Jewish Tradition Dr. Henry Abramson This article appeared in the February 17, 2016 edition of the Five Towns Jewish Times. An unlikely literary duel in Venice took an unexpected turn in 1621 with the appearance of a slim volume entitled “The Manifesto of……
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NO CLASS THIS MONDAY! PRESIDENTS’ DAY
Feb 22. Sarah, wife of Shabbetai Tsvi Orphaned by the Eastern European pogroms of 1649-49, the volatile Sarah became the spouse of the infamous messianic pretender. Feb 29. Hillel Ba’al Shem A mysterious figure of the late 17th and early 18th centuries whose recently discovered work sheds light on the world of popular culture from……
Visits to Synagogues in Bordeaux and Libourne (France); Another Open Letter to Jewish Participants in anti-Israel Protests re: Amsterdam; Conference Presentation on Sheptytsky and WW II
Fantastic Voyage of Discovery with Kosher River Cruises
A Difficult Conversation
Recent Conference Presentation in Toronto
Wait, Christopher Columbus was Jewish? Documentary on Roman-Jewish War now Online
Surprised how much attention this got.
Herod’s Tragic Reign
The Fatal Conflict
How Jewish Culture will Thrive after October 7; The Jews of Al-Andalus Part II
Remarks at Lander College for Men
Maimonides and the Controversy over His Work
Jewish Resilience After October 7; American Jews, Post-Honeymoon; The Jews of Al-Andalus
Three Strategies
Jews under the Visigoths II; The Spanish Golden Age
Public at 10am ET (44 minutes)
Online Courses in Jewish History
Jewish Life in Visigothic Spain; Commemorating October 7
This is one of the most bizarre periods of Jewish history, and that’s saying a lot.
Henry Abramson 